It may be a touch advantageous doing after a weekend when only five games were played and before only four games are played, but split rounds just do not work for football fans.
So if they do not work, being a solution-based columnist, the solution is multi-team byes.
It is a fine balancing act with multi-team byes, because take too brazen an approach and have too many of the strong supporting teams on bye on the same week and the possibility for viewer backlash rises.
The right number is either two or four teams, meaning that every week there are at least seven games of AFL football. Friday night can be covered, Saturday can be covered from lunch to late evening and Sunday can be covered from lunch to twilight.
Oh and of course multi team byes means the weekend can come a day early.
Yes, football could be played Thursday every single week.
Thursday night football realistically is the AFL’s last chance at nailing the next television rights. The AFL viewing public voted with their feet and eyes on Sunday and Monday night football with the feedback enough to cripple the AFL’s hopes of expanding the weekend and getting more dollars in the next media rights.
However the silver lining this season has been the moderately positive reaction to Thursday night football. Yes, in the AFL’s eyes, moderately positive is all it needs.
Consider the following example of a 2015 season with Thursday night, Friday night and bye games to show just how simple it could be if byes were used throughout the season to maximise the extra day of the football weekend.
Round 1
Thursday: Gold Coast versus Sydney – Metricon Stadium
Friday: North Melbourne versus Collingwood – Etihad Stadium
Byes: Nil
Round 2
Thursday: Sydney versus Collingwood – ANZ Stadium
Friday: North Melbourne versus Richmond – Etihad Staidum
Byes: Adelaide, Carlton, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide
Round 3
Thursday: Carlton versus Adelaide – Etihad Stadium
Friday: Richmond versus Port Adelaide – Etihad Stadium
Bye: Brisbane, Collingwood, Melbourne, St Kilda
Round 4 (Easter)
Thursday: Brisbane versus Collingwood – GABBA
Friday: North Melbourne versus Western – Etihad Stadium
Bye: Essendon, West Coast
Round 5
Thursday: West Coast versus Essendon – Patersons Stadium
Friday: Collingwood versus Carlton – MCG
Bye: Fremantle, Geelong, GWS, Richmond
Round 6
Thursday: GWS versus Richmond – Skoda Stadium
Friday: Carlton versus Essendon – MCG
Bye: Gold Coast, North Melbourne
Round 7 (ANZAC Day)
Thursday: Gold Coast versus North Melbourne – Metricon Stadium
Friday: Melbourne versus Richmond – MCG
Bye: Sydney, Western
Round 8
Thursday: Sydney versus Western – SCG
Friday: Hawthorn versus Essendon – MCG
Bye: Nil
Round 9 (Women’s Round)
Thursday: Essendon versus Sydney – Etihad Stadium
Friday: St Kilda versus Carlton – Etihad Stadium
Bye: Nil
Round 10
Thursday: St Kilda versus Sydney – Etihad Stadium
Friday: Collingwood versus Richmond – MCG
Bye: Geelong, GWS, Hawthorn, St Kilda
Round 11
Thursday: Hawthorn versus GWS – Aurora Stadium
Friday: Geelong versus Collingwood – MCG
Bye: Essendon, Fremantle, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide
Round 12 (WA Day)
Thursday: North Melbourne versus Port Adelaide – Blundstone Arena
Friday: Collingwood versus Hawthorn – MCG
Bye: Carlton, Gold Coast, Richmond, Western
Round 13 (Queens Birthday)
Thursday: Gold Coast versus Carlton – Metricon Stadium
Friday: Port Adelaide versus Hawthorn – Adelaide Oval
Bye: Adelaide, Sydney
Round 14
Thursday: Adelaide versus Sydney – Adelaide Oval
Friday: Geelong versus Western – Simmonds Stadium
Bye: Brisbane, Collingwood, Melbourne, West Coast
Round 15 (Indigenous Round)
Thursday: Melbourne versus Brisbane – TIO Stadium
Friday: Port Adelaide versus Geelong – Adelaide Oval
Bye: Nil
Round 16
Thursday: Brisbane versus Port Adelaide – GABBA
Friday: Collingwood versus Fremantle – Etihad Stadium
Bye: Nil
Round 17
Thursday: Fremantle versus Brisbane – Patersons Stadium
Friday: Western versus Adelaide – Etihad Stadium
Bye: Geelong, GWS, Hawthorn, North Melbourne
Round 18
Thursday: GWS versus North Melbourne – Manuka Oval
Friday: West Coast versus Carlton – Patersons Stadium
Bye: Collingwood, Port Adelaide, Richmond, St Kilda
Round 19
Thursday: Collingwood versus St Kilda – Etihad Stadium
Friday: Essendon versus Melbourne – Etihad Stadium
Bye: Gold Coast, Sydney, West Coast, Western
Round 20
Thursday: Western Bulldogs versus Gold Coast – Cazaly’s Stadium
Friday: Sydney versus West Coast – SCG
Bye: Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, Fremantle, Melbourne, Richmond
Round 21
Thursday: Carlton versus Richmond – MCG
Friday: Adelaide versus Fremantle – Adelaide Oval
Bye: Nil
Round 22
Thursday: Adelaide versus Richmond – Adelaide Oval
Friday: Fremantle versus Port Adelaide – Patersons Stadium
Bye: Nil
Round 23
Thursday: Port Adelaide versus Adelaide – Adelaide Oval
Friday: Geelong versus Hawthorn – MCG
Bye: Nil
Round 24
Thursday: Geelong versus Port Adelaide – Simmonds Stadium
Friday: Fremantle versus Hawthorn – Patersons Stadium
Bye: Nil
Round 25
Thursday: Geelong versus Fremantle – Simmonds Stadium
Friday: Collingwood versus Essendon – MCG
Bye: Nil
So what works about this?
For fans it means Thursday night football every week of the year. The weekend can be extended but still have the round completed by Sunday dinner time.
Each club barring a couple of exceptions only have one home Thursday night game. By sharing it among all clubs it makes it an easier sell to attending public, because it truly is a once off each year going to see your team play at home on a Thursday.
While playing week night and school night football has its drawbacks if it is only happening once a year that should suffice with most workers and parents.
There is a heavy weighting towards the northern markets four teams. Rugby is still number one north of the Murray and given that the NRL and Super Rugby rule on Friday through to Monday, the possibility of doing Thursday night football would mean taking the game to a market that these sports cannot compete with.
The northern state teams also have their own opportunities, for example playing Gold Coast and Brisbane games on the Thursday of a long weekend may be able to encourage higher crowds because of the travelling component.
It also allows the AFL to play in some of its smaller venues and limit crowd damage by having them in a Thursday night timeslot. Places like Darwin, Canberra and Hobart are likely to get similar crowds regardless of whether a game is played Thursday or Saturday.
It means that grounds with bigger capacities can be used in more prime time slots.
For those that argue that three byes is too many for each team, the reality is that this year every team had three byes.
There was a split round in Round 1, each team had a bye in the middle of the year and now another split round has occurred in Round 18. It is still covering the same bulk of time, from mid March through to the start of September.
Finally this allows for all clubs to get a chance and building blockbuster matches. While everyone fights for Friday night coverage, the Thursday night game means you are doubling the ability to be on prime time television against a potential rival.
Let the weekend start a day early. You bet.
Cameron Palmer
Roar Guru
As always appreciate the feedback and debate, in order of appearance: Scouts, Fair point around the fareness to AFL fans. My belief if it is for only one home game a year though it could be manageable for most working families. As for the Thursday night game in Perth this year, I believe the AFL was trialing Thursday night football in the five main football cities, plus a sixth game in Geelong. I consider this to be a trial that they believe in and will expand upon heading to the next TV rights. The only issue I see with your dual Friday night games is that it does not really benefit television as you are going to have two matches going head to head. Also a Friday night twilight match is going to be just as tough for working families to be able to attend depending on what time the game starts and considering peak hour traffic on Friday afternoon's in major city centres. Xman, As much as Fox may see the benefit of a split round, I don't think most punters are going to fork out $500+ on a basic Fox subscription just because of a split round. The every game live is the selling point for Fox that they do an outstanding job of promoting. MDS1970, Agree with pretty much everything you say. You have touched on the key points in the affirmative to me. It is only a one off and is a massive win for broadcasters. On top you help to ensure that every team has the chance to play in their own exclusive timeslot. I'll be sure to trawl the archives and read your proposal.
mds1970
Roar Guru
Thursday nights can work. I did an article about a month ago with a similar proposal - mine had every team playing the first 3 & last 3 rounds, a bye in each other round with the teams having a bye playing the next Thursday night. As a result, every team has two Thursday night games - one home, one away. Yes, it's a challenge to get ready for work and the kids ready for school on the Friday. But it's only one home game per season, and they only have to stay awake post-footy for one day. The broadcasters will love it. With eight games per round, one of them a Thursday, we've only got one timeslot where games are played at the same time - each will get more exposure because we've reduced games clashing with each other.
Xman
Guest
Split rounds work for Foxtel so punters need to get Fox for their footy fix on a Sunday- less likely to go to the pub
Shouts Chen
Guest
Footy on a Thursday night? That is so unfair for many AFL fans - many people still need to go to work on a Friday or even Saturday. I heard that an AFL game will be held at Patersons Stadium on the 31st July this year (Fremantle vs Carlton.) Why would AFL decide to have a Thursday game in Perth? In 2015, I would have: 2X Friday Games (Twilight and evening) 4X Saturday Games (2x Afternoon, 2x evening) 3X Sunday Games (2x Afternoon, 1x Twilight
Cameron Palmer
Roar Guru
Appreciate the feedback and debate. Personally I am on the fence to this idea but as I stated, I think it is the only way that is viable for the AFL to expand it's next media rights, other then slugging Telstra or the online component hard. TV is demanding another timeslot and Thursday is the only one that works. I guess this piece was really to show that Thursday can work for an entire season with some creative thinking. In order of appearance, Timmuh, Agree that Sunday twilight is a graveyard for fans and to be honest Fox would have to be looking at those ratings and be thinking there must be something else that can be done. It is always going to be low drawing games and hence how is Fox seeing a bang for its buck. For sake of fans Sunday twilight should go, wrap the weekend by 6pm EST. Really like the point you made around the six day break. It has actually triggered a new piece for me to do around that, so check back in over the next week and will put that one up but appreciate jogging the idea. Footyfact, You raise some good points about the stand along games. It is a double edged sword. All teams want there games highly visible, but if the product is poor then was it really worth it. If I was running AFL scheduling my idea under the Thursday night concept would be to have Thursday 7.30pm, Friday 7.30pm, Saturday 2.10pm (Always in Melbourne), Saturday 4.50pm, Saturday 7.30pm x 3, Sunday 12.40pm, Sunday 3.20pm. Every game stand alone, with the exception of Saturday night, which is as a general when most clubs like to host their matches. I like the point you make about sacrificing money for the fans, but this is the AFL, this is business. That is never going to happen. Thanks again guys for the feedback and input.
footyfact
Guest
Do not like this at all. People still have to get up for work on Fri mornings, get there kids off to school, and people who travel from the country to watch there teams will be discouraged from making the trip. Also add in the fact that most local football sides train on Thursday nights. There are too many disincentives to make this popular. I know it would rate well on TV, but lets not forget that its the crowds that go to the games that help make the atmosphere and the spectacle. There is nothing worse than seeing thousands of empty seats in the outer. By spreading out the weekends games, you also highlight the poor games that people have been complaining about, because every game is virtually stand alone. Let's get back to the times that the real supporters want. And that is Fri night, Sat arvo, Sat night and Sun Arvo. Kill off the twilight games, as they are hated by the people who actually turn up to the games. I know that the TV rights bring in enormous amounts of money, but I'd rather the AFL accept a little less money, and treat the real fans who attend the games with a bit more respect.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
I'll state right now that I'm not a fan of extending the round even further. I'd scarp Sunday twilight as well, its a problem slot for hosting clubs (generally the smalle ones who need the support apart from this year where the AFL made a token gesture to pretending the slot wasn't a graveyard). Thursday night has real logistical problems. Getting a fixture so that a team playing on Thursday night doesn't have a big advantage the following week means every team playing on Thursday must play Thursday or Friday the following week (or play against a team who played on the Friday). Otherwise nine day v six or seven day breaks will become increasingly common. The multi-team byes, with 4 teams having a bye can work. And at least, unlike at present, you are making sure that teams coming off they bye play pther teams coming off the bye. I'm not sure about this statement either, Places like Darwin, Canberra and Hobart are likely to get similar crowds regardless of whether a game is played Thursday or Saturday". That may be true in Darwin (though it would surprise me if true), and arguable in Hobart given northern Tas neutrals can just go to Launceston games, but Canberra certainly relies on a healthy contingent travelling 3 hours or so.